I have finally taken some time to sit down and look at all of the pitches in details. As we move further along, I will take some time out to put in my two cents about the startups and what I think they can do to improve their chances at success. As it stands, here are my initial critiques of the elevator pitches that we looked at last week.
As always, if you have other ways that you think these companies could improve feel free to leave here.
Transpondr
What I really like about this idea is that it’s a data driven model. If there is one thing that can be monetized as well as eyeballs it is data. Also, as it stands, Podcasters do not have a great suite of tools to track their statistics.
One hiccup that they may run into is trying to become the central repository for Podcasting data. Since the barriers to entering this segment of the market are low, it would likely be much better to provide a solution that can be integrated into other services. Not only would this allow for another revenue stream (licensing your white label), but it also provides more outlets from which to collect data.
LogoBids
This is a great example of tightening the hubcaps instead of reinventing the wheel. A huge number of small companies need help building their brands through logos, graphics and other creative work. Hiring a full time designer can be expensive, and finding someone to work on contract can be difficult. LogoBids fills this gap.
If there is any question that needs to be asked it is what differentiates LogoBids from other “work auction” sites? While it does focus specifically on graphic design, many of the other major auction sites have sections that deal with the same kind of work.
I think a valuable differentiator that they should consider is positioning themselves as a design broker. By focusing a substantial amount of attention on helping designers sell their wares, they can build a stronger following and avoid the normal auction culture that often leaves creatives feeling abused.
Publicitr
This is a really exciting idea. Whether it sinks or swims depends entirely on how well they can really push a link out on the web. Social Media requires a delicate dance, and it seems like it would be difficult to be able to do serious promotion programmatically.
This is one of those few instances that the strength of the service is linked almost exclusively to the strength of the technology.
The two big questions that Publicitr will need to deal with are:
- How to be a “promotion engine” without raising the hackles of Social Media and Social Bookmarking sites.
- How to price the service. Price structure is critical when your model basically involves commoditizing links.
Siphs
I’ve spoken to the Siphs guys pretty regularly and what impresses me most about them is their willingness to listen to users and make changes to the product accordingly. Their big problem is going to be getting over the inertia that bloggers run into at the thought of installing another widget.
Also, they have multiple threads of sub-projects running alongside Siph’s core “share this” feature. At this stage in their development, it might be prudent to focus the brunt of their resources on building out the promotions / marketing machine they will need to get their product into blogs.
Zambino
If they can find a coherent way to monetize YouTube videos then they have struck gold. The problem is that everyone and their Aunt Sally are trying to do the same thing. The real trick that will give Zambino an edge are simplicity and transparency. They should make it so that anyone who wants to earn a few bucks from their cut cat video can do so without having to jump through fiery hoops.
They should also make it so people understand exactly what’s earning them money, how changing the “style” of advertising would effect that and what the baseline earnings for videos like theres is.
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